NEWSREEL

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

FROM DESPONDENCY TO HOPE AND PROGRESS

Gambia's Vice President Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy speaking at the official opening of the NaYCONF 2012 on Thursday (Photo Credit: Gambia Sports News Online)

“Over the years, the situation of Gambian youths has
significantly shifted from one of despondency to one of hope and progress,” says
the country’s Vice President Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy.

Such despondency, according to Njie-Saidy, arose from issues
such as “restricted employment opportunities, inadequate and poorly equipped
schools at the basic and secondary levels, and inaccessibility to university
education in and outside the country.”

It also arose from rampant corruption, nepotism and
favoritism that led to marginalization of some sections of the Gambian
community, and frustrations emanating from injustice and inefficient public
institutions and structures, she admitted.

She was speaking on Thursday Jan. 4, 2013 in the provincial
town of Bansang, Central River Region of The Gambia where she official opened
the 10th Edition of the National Youth Conference and Festival (NaYCONF
2012).

“Directing and re-orienting youth participation towards the productive
sectors of the economy” is the theme of the event, to which she said must include
education and training, as well as acquisition of skills and competencies for
efficient application or utilization of existing knowledge, technology and the
limited resources.

She said the theme calls for situating the youth within the
development equation of the country, vis-à-vis, the role or the importance of
the productive sectors in economic growth and development.

She said in the course of 2013, skills training will be
expanded and diversified with the establishment of the Ndemban Skills Centre,
urging the youth of the country to renewed partnership with the Government - a
partnership from which they will envisage and ask for every meaningful positive
attitudinal change.

Online or distance learning courses are now provided in the
country, in addition to traditional modes of course delivery, both of which
will be scaled up to assure quality, registration and accreditation procure for
institutions of higher learning will be instituted, she added.

Babylon syndrome

The Minister of Youths and Sport Mr. Alieu K. Jammeh demand
that the youths come out of ghettoes and resist the fantasy of instant success
of the “Babylon syndrome” (the believe that success can only be attained by
traveling to Europe or America) and illegal migration.

He charged them to defeat dependency, and rather accept to
toil harder and join hands with government in its collective national
development endeavors.

Over the years, the NaYCONF has progressed from being a
mainly sports jamboree to incorporate a conference component that avails
stakeholders in youth development a platform where tangible programmes and
activities are proposed for the positive engagement of the youth in national
development, he noted.

He also argued: “The usual excuses of not doing anything
because of lack of opportunities are inexcusable because it is true that we,
the youths, with only some effort and perseverance, can become successful
fisherman, agriculturists, bakers, tailors, or petty traders.”

Lack of employment

The Chairperson of National Youths Council (NYC) Mr. Fabakary
Kalleh said: “We must as youths understand that we have a fundamental
responsibility in the development of the Gambia and this cannot happen without
our participation in trades like agriculture, fishing, or skills acquisitions.”

“No country can develop if the youth, the productive sector
of the population, is not willing or prepared to partake in the productive
sectors of the economy,” said Mr. Kalleh who is also Chairperson of National
Organizing Committee of the NaYCONF.

He also admitted that the NYC and the whole country are
faced with the lack of employment among the youth – one of the challenges of
youths the country is still battling to address.

In our quest to find a possible solution to this challenge,
the NYC is establishing an initiative for supporting the productive sectors (like
agriculture) of the economy, he said.

“NYC plan to restructure organisation and hosting of the
NAYCONF upon approval by the delegates,” he revealed. “Biding for NAYCONF will
be done every four years and regions that express interest in hosting the event
will have to provide a piece of land and contribute up to 10% of the cost for
the construction of a NAYCONF Village. The host region will request the
government and development partners to support this initiative.”

The Governor of the host region (CRR) Mr. Ganyi Touray reiterated
that Gambian youth must take advantage of the opportunities provided to them by
the government.

He also urges them to make best use of the conference component
of the NaYCONF and come up with tangible recommendations that will benefit the
young people of the country.

Since 1994 the government of President Jammeh has make
youths empowerment a top development agenda. Lots of job opportunities (like GAMJOB,
NYSS) have being provided, he claimed.

More than 1500 youths, 12 cabinet ministers, regional
governors, ambassadors, national assembly members, service chiefs, chairpersons
of area councils, and national women mobilizers joined the host town at the
opening ceremony, local journalist Sulayman Ceesay in Bansang told The North
Bank Evening Standard.

Resolutions not
implemented

The event is ending on Jan. 9, 2013 and will culminate with
a resolution that should serve as a guide to addressing challenges facing the
youths.

In the past, youth advocates have criticized the NYC and the
Government for not fully implementing most of the recommendations made at previous
event.

But the Executive Secretary of the NYC dispel the criticism
when he spoke to a daily newsletter (NaYCONF Daily) published by the NYC at the
event.

“Some people pretend to know when they really don't know.
Some of the resolutions have been implemented by the government and the
council,” he claimed. “The fact of the matter is that most of the resolutions
have been worked on.”

He noted a previous resolution demanded a young people
representative at the National Assembly, saying: “As you know we have succeeded
in having a youth representative in the National Assembly."

He also argued the NYC was established upon the
recommendation of a NaYCONF resolution.

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